Tracking device



. A. PAGE.

TRACKING DEVICE. APPLlc/Tlou FILED MAR. 17. 1917.

Y Panted ADI. 20, 1.1920. @j

45 gf LV@ 14 (ffy/2m Page ARTHUR A.'PAGE, OF NEW YRK, N. Y.

TRACKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application led March 17, 1917. Serial No. 155,452.

y description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to devices designed to be used in connection with musical instruments operatedby means of recordl rolls, whereby the record roll is maintained in its proper and central position during the operation of the musical instrument thereby.

Thetobject of my invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which record rolls in musical instruments may be maintained in their properr and middle positions while the musical instruments are being played thereby. MoreV particularly, the object of my invention is to provide an appa* ratus of this character by means -of which the sheetof material carrying a recordmay be. made toregister exactly with the openings in va tra-cker'ba-rf so that the notes may beplayed according to the record'.l A fur.- thery object is to provide. an apparatus of this vcharacter which is extremely simple in constructionV and which can be produced at a low cost. A further'object is to provide an apparatus-fof,this .kind which may be readily' applied to player devices of vari.- ous different types. f Further objects of my inventionwill appeary from a detailed descriptionA thereof contained hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in manyvdiflerent forms, for the Ypurposeiof.illustration I have shown only kone formf thereof in the accompanying drawings,l in' which- Figure lis' a front`l` elevation of a tracking'vdevice made in accordance with my invention, the; same being shown as applied tothe player'mechanisml of a musical instrument as, `forexample, a player piano;

Fig. 2'is a plan'view of the tracking device showing the supports to which it is attached .in cross-section;

Fig. 3-is a vertical'sectionof the same taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the parts -inY operative position;

Figs/iis a similar view showing the parts vcal instrument may be used.

in position prior to the operation of the tracking device; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings 1 have shown anapparatus which may, for example, be attached to a player piano, the player mechanism of which is partly shown herein, although it is to be understood that the player mechanism itself may be of any desired type, and that the player piano may be ofV any desired type, and that instead ofthe piano, if desired, any other mechanically played musin the apparatus shown in the drawings, there is a frame l supporting a tracker bar 2, which may be provided with a series of openings 3, to admit atmospheric air for the opera tion of the player mechanism in the usual way and thereby operate the musical instrument not shown. rFliese openings 3 in the operation of the player mechanism are-:arranged to register with openings 4 in a flexile sheet 5 of any suitable character carried by a roll 6 which is supported at one end by a spring-pressed pivot 7, and at the other end by a positively driven shaft 8 having fixedly secured thereto longitudinally directed pins 9, which are adapted to engage with similar pins 10 on a. sliding sleeve 11 carrying a sprocket wheel 12, which is arranged to be driven by a chain 13 from a sprocket wheel 14 on a shaft 15 also carried by the frame 1 and having a gear 16, driven in any suitable manner, as by a chain, from a gear 17 on a shaft 18 connected to any suitable motor driving apparatus. On the sliding sleeve 11 there is an annular recess 19 to receive a yoke 2O on a lever 21 pivoted in a bracket 22 on the frame 1. Said lever 21 has a handle 23 at its lower end for manual operation. Below the bracket 22, said lever 21, furthermore, is arranged to engage with two shoulders 24 and 25 on the shaft 15 so that the shaft 15 may be moved bodily to throw a gear 26 on its inner end into and out of engagement with a gear 27. A fixed shaft 28 carries a roll 29 which receives the free end of the flexible sheet 5 during the operation of the apparatus. Gear 27 also meshes with a gear 30 on a shaft 31 carried in two U-shaped brackets 32 and 33 arranged to be lsecured to the sides of the frame 1 by screws 34. The shaft 3l carries a tracker roll 35 carrying two screw threads 36 and 37 at the two ends thereof which are respectively right-hand and left-hand threads. On the shaft 31 there is, furthermore, a small gear 38 which meshes with a gear 39 on a shaft 40 supported at one end in the bracket 32 and at the other end in a bracket 41 extending upwardly from a rod 42 which joins together the two brackets 32 and 33. Said gear 39 in turn meshes with a gear 43 on a shaft 44- carried by arms 44L and 44h, one of which is supported upon the bracket 32 and the other of which is supported by a bearing 44c attached to the U-shaped bracket 33. Said shaft 44 has thereon a tracker roll 45 provided with two screw threads 46 and 47 which are also respectively left-hand and right-hand threads. At the front and at the two ends of the bar 42 there are attached L-shaped bars 48 by screws 49 to hold in place leaf springs 50 adapted to bear against the upper ends of the arms 44"v and 44h. Adjusting screws 51 are provided on bars 48 to adjust the pres sure with which the two rolls 35 and 45 are held together'.

In the operation of my invention a record roll carrying a sheet of flexible material and provided with apertures 4 will be inserted by displacing the spring pressed pivot 7 so that said roll becomes held between the pivot 7 and shaft 8, the motor being meantime disconnected from the shaft 8 by the pins 9 having been disengaged from the pins through the movement of the lever 23. The end of the flexible sheet 5 is now attached to the roll 29 while said roll 29 is also disconnected from the motor owing to the disconnection of the gear 2G from engagement with the gear 27. lfhe flexible sheet of material 5 is passed between the rolls and 45, however, before having its end attached to the roll 29, which is readily accomplished by moving the roll on its arms 441nu and 44b away from the roll 35 while the flexible sheet 5 is being inserted between said rolls 35 and 45. The lever 23 is now moved so as to throw the gear 2G into mesh with the gear 27, whereupon the sheet of flexible material 5 is fed forwardly thus bringing the openings 4 into registry with the openings 3 in the tracker bar 2 and causing the musical instrument to be played. During the feeding of the sheet of material forwardly in this manner, said sheet is maintained in its central position by reason of the screw threads 36, 37, 46 and 47 so that thereby perfect registry is always maintained between the apertures 4 and the openings 3. In the operation of the device the two tracker rolls 35 and 45 rotate in the same direction so that their adjacent snrfaces tend to move the flexible sheet 5 neither forwardly nor rearwardly, inasmuch as there is one surface on one of said rolls passing over the flexible sheet 5 in one direction, and another surface on the other of said rolls passing said sheet in the opposite direction. Both of said rolls 35 and 45 move in the opposite direction to the roll 29 so that the tendency of said rolls 35 and is to maintain a flexible sheet of material 5 always in its central position by reason of the presence of the right-hand threads at the left ends of said rolls and the left-hand threads at the right ends of said rolls. lVlien the entire selection on the flexible sheet 5 has been played the lever 23 may be moved in the opposite direction so as to disconnect the gear 2G from the gear 27 and bring into engagement the pins 9 and 10 Vwhereupon the shaft 8 will be positively rotated so as to roll up the flexible sheet 5 in the opposite direction until the roll has been re-wound when it may be replaced by another roll if desired. Then the tracking device has been applied to a particular player apparatus, the screws 51 will be adjusted to cause the proper pressure to be applied bv the springs so that in this way the flexible sheet 5 may be caused to remain always in its central position.

lVhile I have described my invention above in detail, I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A tracking device having a recordsheet-centering means comprising a transversely extending member having a surface located in the path of movement of the sheet and adapted to engage said sheet, said surface being provided with a plurality of inclined ridges adapted to contact the sheet in passing said surface.

2. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central sition, comprising a record sheet engaging member having an inclined groove 1n the surface which coperates with the record sheet.

3. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a record sheet engaging roll having an inclined groove in the surface which coperates with the record sheet.

4. A tracking device having means to re tain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a record sheet engagin roll carrying a thread at each end thereo said threads being adapted to engage the record sheet in passing the roll.

5. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central osition, comprising a record sheet engagln roll carrying a thread at each end thereo said threads being adapted to engage the recordsheet passing the roll, said'threads being right and left-hand, respectively.

tiguous to the first mentioned roll.

7. -A tracking device having means to re. tain a flexible record sheet in its central position,'co1nprising a roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, and another similar roll contiguous to the first mentioned roll.

8. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, said spiral threads being right and left-hand respectively and another similar roll contiguous to the first mentioned roll.

9. A tracking device havingmeans to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying an inclined groove, and another similar roll contiguous to the first mentioned roll and means to drive said rolls in the same direction.

10. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, and another similar roll contiguous to the first mentioned roll, and means to drive said rolls in the same direction.

11. A tracking device having means ao retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, said spiral threads being right and left-hand respectively and another similar roll contiguous to the first mentioned roll, and means to drive said rolls in the same direction.

12. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a roll carrying an inclined groove, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll,l and yielding means for holding said rolls together.

13. A. tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, and yielding means for holding said rolls together.

le. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a roll carrying a spiral threadV at each end thereof, said spiral threads being right and left-hand respectively, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, and yielding means for holding said rolls together.

15. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying an inclined groove, and another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, means to drive said rolls in the same direction, and yielding means for holding said rolls together.

16. A tracking device having means to re tain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, means to drive said rolls in the same direction, and yielding means for holding said rolls together.

17. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, said spiral threads being right and leftehand respectively, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, means to drive said rolls in the same direction, and yielding means for holding said rolls together.

18. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a roll carrying an inclined groove, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, and yielding means comprising independently adjustable springs at the ends thereof for holding said rolls together.

19. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, and yielding means comprising independently adjustable springs at the ends thereof for holding said rolls together.

20. tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, said spiral threads being right and left-hand respectively, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, and yielding means comprising independently adjustable springs at the ends thereof for holding said rolls together.

21. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying an inclined groove, and another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, means to drive said rolls in the same direction, and yielding means comprising independently adjustable springs at the ends thereof for holding said rolls together.

22. tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, means to drive said rolls in the same direction, and yielding means comprising independently adjustable springs at the ends thereof for holding said rolls together.

23. A tracking device having means to retain a flexible record sheet in its central position, comprising a driving roll carrying a spiral thread at each end thereof, said spiral threads being right and left-hand respectively, another similar roll adjacent to the first mentioned roll, means to drive said rolls in the same direction, and yielding means comprising independently adjustable springs at the ends thereof for holding said rolls together.

24. A tracking device having a recordsheet-centering means comprising a transversely extending member having a surface located in the path of movement of the sheet and adapted to engage said sheet, said surface being provided with a plurality of oppositely inclined ridges adapted to contact the sheet in passing said surface.

25. A tracking device having a recordsheet-centering means comprising a transversely extending member having a surface and adapted to engage said sheet, said surface being provided with a plurality of oppositely inclined ridges converging in the direction of movement of the sheet and adapted to contact the sheet in surface.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR A. PAGE.

located in the path of movement of the sheet 25 passing said 30 

